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The Gas and Flame Men by Jim Leeke (Hardback)
£27.99
Out of stock
Product Ref. (e.g. ISBN, SKU)
9781640126053
Published:
01 Mar 2024
Format:
Hardback
Number of pages:
256 pages
Dimensions:
229x152x30mm
Weight:
0.499kgs
Author:
The Gas and Flame Men tells how chemical warfare changed the course of World War I, war in general, and the game of baseball-with famous players stepping away from the game to serve and fight in France.
When the United States officially entered World War I in 1917, it was woefully underprepared for chemical warfare, in which the British, French, and Germans had been engaged since 1915. In response, the U.S. Army created an entirely new branch: the Chemical Warfare Service. The army turned to trained chemists and engineers to lead the charge—and called on an array of others, including baseball players, to fill out the ranks.The Gas and Flame Men is the first full account of Major League ballplayers who served in the Chemical Warfare Service during World War I. Four players, two club executives, and a manager served in the small and hastily formed branch, six of them as gas officers. Remarkably, five of the seven—Christy Mathewson, Branch Rickey, Ty Cobb, George Sisler, and Eppa "Jeptha" Rixey—are now enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame at Cooperstown, New York. The son of a sixth Hall of Famer, player and manager Ned Hanlon, was a young officer killed in action in France with the First Gas Regiment. Prominent chemical soldiers also included veteran Major League catcher and future manager George "Gabby" Street and Boston Braves president and former Harvard football coach Percy D. Haughton.The Gas and Flame Men explores how these famous baseball men, along with an eclectic mix of polo players, collegiate baseball and football stars, professors, architects, and prominent social figures all came together in the Chemical Warfare Service. Jim Leeke examines their service and its long-term effects on their physical and mental health—and on Major League Baseball and the world of sports. The Gas and Flame Men also addresses historical inaccuracies and misperceptions surrounding Christy Mathewson's early death from tuberculosis in 1925, long attributed to wartime gas exposure.
About the Author: Jim Leeke is a former news journalist, retired copywriter and creative director, and a U.S. Navy veteran. He is the author of several books, including The Best Team Over There: The Untold Story of Grover Cleveland Alexander and the Great War (Nebraska, 2021) and From the Dugouts to the Trenches: Baseball during the Great War (Nebraska, 2017).
| Number of pages | 256 |
|---|
We will despatch your order as quickly as we can. If, for whatever reason, a product is out of stock we will contact you to discuss the likely delivery time or an alternative product.
| First Item | 2 Items & Over | |
|---|---|---|
| UK | £3.75 | £5.00 |
| EU | £15.00 | £30.00 |
| USA & Canada | £30.00 | £50.00 |
| Rest of the World | £45.00 | £60.00 |
| Collect in Store | free | free |
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First Item @ £30.00
2 Items & over @ £50.00 in total
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First Item @ £45.00
2 Items & over @ £60.00 in total
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It was the most impressive packaging that I have EVER SEEN!!! The books were in perfect condition!!!!!
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